Ben Artzi - Dreams 34

It's hard to believe that today marks 5 years since the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, the soldier who we've all come to know just like we've all come to know his family. As if we're family friends. 5 years in which Gilad's friends have finished the army, perhaps made "the big trip" to South America or Asia, enrolled in University, and started their lives. And Gilad is still there, so close yet so far from his family. It seems that wishing that he'll return is becoming more of a naive idea with every day that passes. I really like the lyrics in Ben Artzi's new song. You can tell that they were written by him from the heart. Something about how he says that most of the time life isn't perfect but you enjoy the little things, and the things you want aren't huge stuff like money, fame, or peace, but enjoying time with your family, enjoying good music in clubs, and having a more human prime minister. That doesn't seem like too much to ask for. When Ben says how happy he is when his father suddenly embraces him, I can't help but think of Shalit, who probably wishes for something as simple as that, and what he has right now is not even close to "nearby the thing itself".

Most of the time it's nearby
It's not the thing itself
You want it stronger, more exciting
And that's how the time passes
And you pretty much come to terms with what there is
Catch in the dark small moments

You want more joy with the family
More passionate sex with the one you love
Different music in the clubs
A prime minister that's more human
You want more truth on TV
And more depth in living room conversations
Less violence among this youth
And that it would be possible to swim in the Yarkon

Most of the time is alone
With alternating roles in a play
And you have one friend
And sometimes that's also a lot
And that's how time passes
You pretty much come to terms with what you have
Catch in the dark
And love and love

You thank God that all your relatives are here
That you make a living from what you love
On Friday dinners how you're happy
When your father suddenly embraces you
You get emotional when someone understands you
And when the girls still say that you're pretty
You still believe in the goodness of each person
Even though a million times you've been burnt by it

Most of the time it's nearby
It's not the thing itself
You want it stronger
More exciting

http://www.facebook.com/BenArtziPage#!/BenArtziPage?sk=info

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3s8qd8_c94&feature=related

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=226426

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=226471

Modern Tapes - Caroline

I just finished reading an article on this band in Time Out Tel Aviv and of course, the first thing I did was search for this video on youtube. And then I listened to it again and again. It's that good. I love the guitar and their endless energy. Modern Tapes first started playing in a bomb shelter and that's where they recorded their e.p. As one of the members said: "That's where we feel the safest". Playing in a bomb shelter may sound very undergroundish to someone from abroad but it's pretty common here-they're more like community garages without cars and an indoor option for parties in the winter. Hopefully, my associations of bomb shelters will stay relatively positive. Anyway, it's kind of cool that Modern Tapes sees playing in it as cool. I hope to catch a gig of theirs in Tel Aviv before they make it big and start touring the world and something tells me I shouldn't linger.

https://www.facebook.com/moderntapes

Dana Berger - If I had

At first I wasn't really into this song-it sounded a bit too popish to be a rock song but after a few listens I was won over by Dana's voice and the lyrics. Dana Berger belongs to the 90's rock generation and she's definitely matured in a good way. She still has an edginess about her and she's not afraid to say what's on her mind yet she sounds very composed and at peace with herself- maybe because she's now married with children and no longer the rebellious young woman, but she's still one of the coolest singers around.

Again I'm alone with the guitar
The same chords accompanying my life
I know how to love when I sing
I'm transparent now maybe a tad too much
The same story of longing, of a little girl of a family
The same scratch in the heart
The same pain
The same tune

If I had the courage to start over
If I had the strength to love you again
If I could what would I change

Tel Aviv is so beautiful in the morning
Every coffee of hers suddenly reminds me
I'm with you and it costs me dearly
I'm with you and I don't care today
The same story of an illusion of great passion of disappointment
The same scratch in the heart
The same pain
Annoy her last time

If I had the courage to start over
If I had the strength to love you again
If I could what would I change

So hold me now you, again
Hold me tight and don't leave
I ask if there's a point in this
If we haven't forgotten how to love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_Y5GuH7iMI

David Broza - I'm Dreaming

There's something very familiar and comforting about David Broza. I remember learning his songs in elementary school and as a kid at family bonfires someone would always pull out a guitar and sing his songs, especially "Under the Sky". I sometimes catch on TV the 1993 video of his sunrise performance at the Masada singing "Under the Sky" and I'm always mesmerized not just by his amazing performance but also by the audience's reaction. And it's interesting to see how young people dressed and acted then. It mainly seems that they didn't really care how they were dressed, but I could be wrong. After all, when going to a sunrise concert at the Massada your main concern is to wear something warm and comfortable. David Broza kind of disappeared a while, probably to develop and nurture his successful career abroad. I do remember how in the Second Lebanon War in 2006 he was one of the first artists to perform in bomb shelters in the north. He performed so much over there that they made a skit on the satire "Eretz Nehederet" (A Wonderful Country) about him not leaving the poor citizens alone and singing with them all night. We had to laugh at something in those days... Anyways, I really like this song- it has a "getting back to the roots" feel where all you need is a guitar and a good voice. I can really identify with the lyrics- I always catch myself dreaming and sometimes feel a bit guilty about detaching myself from reality. And you can't really go wrong with the line "And when I look into your eyes my dream comes true". It sounds cheesy, but I can't think of anybody who wouldn't gush a bit over a line like that.

Watching the news
And I'm dreaming
Travelling on the roads
And I'm dreaming
Going down to the sea in the sunset
And I'm dreaming
A full moon rises
And I'm dreaming

Dreaming that I dreamt
A dream that I'm dreaming
And when I look deep in your eyes
My dream comes true

Outside there's a war
And I'm dreaming
Standing on a stage
And I'm dreaming
Buying flowers for Friday
And I'm dreaming
Opening a bottle of champagne
And I'm dreaming

Life passes by
And I'm as if detached from reality
But when I'm inside a dream
Everything passes by much easier

The fall of leaves in Autumn
And I'm dreaming
The blossom of citruses
And I'm dreaming
I hear the cry of a baby
And I'm dreaming
Going up to you and I'm dreaming

A dream that I dreamt
A dream that I'm dreaming
And when I finally look in your eyes
My dream then comes true

http://www.myspace.com/dbroza

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRM8QW27QZk

Dr. Kasper's Rabbit Show - Everything will be alright

It's a bit surreal that Dr. Kasper's Rabbit Show have been around for 20 years (with a break up in the middle) and they're still going strong today. Their songs appeal to many people but especially teenagers -anthems like "I'll dream forever", "Look at me" and "You don't understand" were a huge part of my teenage years and they were already something like 10 years old.  They're also appealing to young teens today and there really isn't a reason why they shouldn't. You can't really resist the catchy guitar riffs and touching lyrics. This song is a bit different than their usual stuff. Their last album was called "A bad ending" and this song suggests the exact opposite. I'm used to their Friday night rock songs and this song is much more suitable for "the morning after" which suits my mood today. "Everything will be alright" seems like this country's motto. No matter if you've had a bad test, are going through a rough time, have money problems, or the country's "situation" looks bleak, you'll probably say to yourself, and will constantly hear from friends that everything will be fine. I'm sure this is something that is said everywhere around the world but I have the feeling that it's said so much more here and really, what else is there to say? With the dreaded September (I'm not talking about students dreading the end of vacation) around the corner it doesn't hurt to hear a song like this especially considering that it's also a really good one.

Yes
Yes everything will be fine
We'll shine on
And the light of beyond
Will open for us
Yes everything will be fine
We'll shine on
And the light of beyond
Will open for us

The king doesn't have any more stars in his eyes
The queen is naked who remembers her name
Standing shouting to the angels in the sky
If I'll say another prayer
Who will light her way

So if I'll forget everything I am
The light won't light on all of my world
I'll carry with me forever the voice of my oath
And wherever I'll turn she'll lead my way

Yes
Yes everything will be alright
We'll shine
And the light of beyond
Will open for us
Yes everything will be alright
We'll shine on
And the light of beyond
Will open for us

A year has passed two years will pass
The land is orphaned without rebels without a cause
And don't forget that there beyond the sea
It's a crazy world
There's no more blood for you

So if I'll forget everything I am
The light won't light on all of my world
I'll carry with me forever the voice of my oath
And wherever I'll turn she'll lead my way

Yes
Yes everything will be alright
We'll shine on
And the light of beyond
Will open for us
Yes everything will be fine
We'll shine on
And the light of beyond
Will open for us


http://www.myspace.com/drkasper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkUuIMrerEo

HaCartel - With Everything That's Happened

Like the picture suggests, at first this sounds like a really sweet song but it's actually quite nasty (and not just because of the foul language). Actually on the radio a cleaner version is played but I couldn't find it online and it kind of takes out the sourness of the song so I'll keep it this way. Anyway, this is quite a bitter song and very guyish. I love how there's really a sense of nostalgia in the sound of the song that fits with the lyrics. And it's something we can all identify with- that close childhood friend that got away and maybe it wasn't supposed to be that way... HaCartel are a great band with a unique sound and a true sense of coolness. They became pretty famous with their hit "I wanted to play a CD for you", which has a pretty amazing and very Israeli video. This is a perfect song to open the summer with, hoping it'll be more positive than the song!

Even when we were little kids
And we played hide and seek together
I picked flowers for you
And you showed me your underwear
Ooh ay what times
A box of sand and big castles
Ooh ay what times
We swore to each other forever

With everything that happened
Daughter of a bitch
Also in another twenty years
Daughter of a bitch

Hand in hand we went to buy
Popsicles and candy
We drew with a paintbrush
Children that didn't want to grow up
Ooh ay a hot day
Over there in an orchard on the orange tree
Ooh ay what times
We swore to each other forever

With everything that happened
Daughter of a bitch
Also in another twenty years
Daughter of a bitch

And when we went up in the same class
We didn't exchange a word with each other
We didn't talk also in recess
That way many years passed
Sometimes I stop to see
How good it could have been
That way I'll remember her deep within
We swore to each other forever
We swore to each other forever
We swore to each other forever

With everything that happened
Also in twenty years

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj1B0irZAas&feature=related

http://www.myspace.com/hacartel

Ehud Banai - I'm Walking

I love to walk. And I love Bob Dylan. So maybe that's why I like this song so much. When I first heard it I had a bit of trouble following it to the end. It seemed too slow and too long. But when I watched it with the video it flowed naturally and I almost didn't want it to end. The video was shot in New York, one of my favorite cities to walk in, and Jerusalem, a city that always fascinates me. I really identify with Ehud Banai's description of walking- I don't walk as much as I used to, but it always does me good and helps me clear my head. I'm pretty sure that Banai is heavily influenced by Bob Dylan. At first it bothered me a bit but now I see that he managed not to imitate him and his song is solely his. The lyrics are the heart of this song and are worth paying attention to. Also, I love how Banai always seems to be growing as an artist, even though he's already established himself as a much-respected singer and songwriter.

I walk quite regularly,
The doctor said: It'll make you calm
It's good for the heart and also for the liver it's very good,
Refreshing, lets the system work.
People pass by also when they're walking,
Here and there I hear fragments of words
Don't speak what already is heard to be said,
Walk straight try to keep pace, to persist.
I walk light turns on in the windows,
The night is falling, I smell omelets
Here and there I see shadows in rooms,
Fragments of lives of other people.
Now it's quiet the terror of the Scad missile has passed,
Here not far, fell one
And always I feel here the tension in the air,
Comes with the wind fills all of the city.
Now everything flows, the blood pumps, I'm sweating
The doctor said: It's good to walk every day a bit: Until you reach there.

I walk through smoky cities,
Blood on the cement screams of crying and mourning
A small trip at dusk,
I'm walking this way for at least 2,000 years.
And these are the streets on which I walked to school
When I'd imagine the street to be a flowing river
Walking in the desert until I'll pass the Jordan,
Mom and Dad are waiting for the old kid.
I'm walking in a familiar and strange city,
Don't belong to the sector and won't walk into the drawer,
My heart is open here and there also flashes,
Walking and getting farther walking and getting closer.
Another turn around the same square,
Close to home as far as possible,
When I'll come back my wife won't recognize who is coming,
She'll say to me: sorry, this isn't the right address
Now everything is flowing, the blood is pumping, I'm sweating
The doctor said: It's good to walk every day a little...until you reach there.

I'm walking in the few wild fields,
That are left between towers and malls
Scanning stations, not recognizing the place,
Standing on Halacha bridge looking for HaShalom highway.
Now everything is flowing, the blood is pumping, I'm sweating
The doctor said: it's good to walk every day a bit...until you reach there.

http://www.ehudbanai.co.il/?lang=eng